Bachelor of Arts in Journalism: Concentration in Photojournalism

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, students must complete 43 journalism units. Only ten journalism units may be in the lower division for print/online majors —JOUR 205 and JOUR 221, JOUR 222 and JOUR 226. Only 13 units may be lower division for photojournalism majors—JOUR 205 and JOUR 221, JOUR 222, JOUR 226 and JOUR 235, or their equivalents completed elsewhere. Courses numbered 300 and above are not open to freshmen. Upon enrolling in journalism classes, students will be required to use their SF State email accounts. These email addresses will be used as the primary source of communication between students and the department.

In order to ensure that every journalism student's education is as rich and varied as possible, the department has established these requirements:

A journalism major must complete a minor in one of the areas of study approved by faculty advisors. A list of approved disciplines for this requirement is posted at http://journalism.sfsu.edu/pages/list-approved-minors. Students should consult with an academic advisor in journalism to determine the minor that best meets their interests and professional goals.

A journalism major must have a minimum of 72 non-journalism units in the 120 minimum overall units required for graduation. Included in these 72 units must be the minor in a single subject area chosen in consultation with the advisor. The 72 unit requirement is consistent with the department's philosophy that a well-rounded education is crucial preparation for journalism and is consistent with the standards of the national accrediting agency (ACEJMC) that evaluates journalism education programs. These standards exclude classes in broadcasting (BECA), public relations (MKTG), and advertising (MKTG) from qualifying as non-journalism units. Photography and film production classes in Art and Cinema are also excluded.

Non-journalism units (includes required minor): 72 units

These 72 units must include a single subject minor chosen in consultation with an advisor. Classes in broadcasting (BECA), public relations and advertising (MKTG), and classes in film (CINE) and photography (ART) do not qualify as non-journalism units.

Total units for Degree: 120

Note: A minimum of 43 upper division units must be completed for the degree (including upper division units required for the major, general education, electives, etc.). A student can complete this major yet not attain the necessary number of upper division units required for graduation. In this case, additional upper division courses will be needed to reach the required total.

Skills Courses

Skills courses offered by the Department of Journalism impart the various skills and crafts necessary to the practice of journalism. There are three levels of skills courses: foundational, advanced, and capstone. The capstone skills courses provide students a culminating opportunity to integrate skills acquired in foundational and advanced courses, working and learning collaboratively. Journalism majors and minors must earn grades of C or better in all foundational, advanced, and capstone skills courses.

Other Requirements

Students may enroll in only one laboratory course section per semester.

Journalism majors and minors must earn a minimum grade of C in all skills, concentration, advanced and capstone courses, and must attain at least an overall C average in the major and the minor.

Journalism majors and minors must take all journalism courses for letter grade only with the exception of JOUR 617 which may be taken C/NC.

Complementary Studies

Twelve units of complementary studies are required of all candidates for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Students completing the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism must complete a minor that has been approved by the department. The minor fulfills the Complementary Studies Requirement.

How GWAR is satisfied for the Journalism major: JOUR 300GW, required for all majors.

First Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)

General Advising Information for Transfer Students

Before transfer, complete as many lower division requirements or electives for this major as possible.

The following courses are not required for admission, but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.

a course in U.S. History

a course in U.S. & California Government

a 2nd-semester course in written English composition

For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:

Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower division major requirements for this major, including 2nd-semester composition;

Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government.

Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 units/90 quarters required for admission.

Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper division transfer (for example, if course was not passed on the first attempt, or was taken to earn a better grade).

Before leaving the last California community college of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.

Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.

Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower division general education in areas C and D until after transfer in order to focus on preparation courses for the major. (This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.)

Transferring from institutions other than CCCs or CSUs

Review SF State's lower division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.

Identify and complete a 2nd-semester written English composition course before transfer. This is usually the next course after the typical “freshman comp” course, with a focus on writing, reading and critical analytical skills for academic purposes, and developing skills in composing, revising, and the use of rhetorical strategies.

Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.

All students must meet the transfer eligibility requirements outlined below for admission. For more information, visit the Undergraduate Admissions section.

Complete 60 or more transferable semester units or 90 or more quarter units

Earn a college grade point average of 2.00 or better in all transferable courses. Non-local area residents may be held to a higher GPA standard.

One course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning, with intermediate algebra as a prerequisite (same as CSU GE area B4)

The four basic skills courses and a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (90 quarter units) must be completed by the spring semester prior to fall admission, or by the fall semester prior to spring admission. Earn a "C" or better grade in each basic skills course.